Star Wars The Broken Empire

Game Master Shanosuke

My first impulse here is to have Zaelos join the advance party, unless you feel his Force sight would be more useful with the rear guard party.

Either Karval or Zaleos should stay with the rear party simply because they actually know the layout of the ship.

Okay guys. I need to briefly go over this unique scenario just so we all understand it.

Normally I run a scenario like this in RL games step by step, round by round. however, those missions took one to two sessions to complete at a time.

Here in PBP, this scenario could take months to complete the conventional way. That is why I designed a simple "Rush system" to large scale combats. Simple bouts will still be round by round, but in the case where you have limited tactical options, and a ton of friendlies and foes on the table, it is necessary and easier for me to do multiple round results at once.

So, to help provide a challenge to this scenario I will either ask you to make a critical decision or perform multiple rounds worth of actions.

Hopefully this concept is okay for you guys. Please speak out if you have any complaints or better ideas. I'm always looking for ways to make the game better.

Okay, bringing discussion for the advance team here, since I don't want to blow up the Gameplay thread and waste IC time asking questions. Janitor's the kind to make snap decisions, but between not wanting to step on toes and his lack of standing with the Malakai, I want to check with people here.

I understand your pain in trying to fit the scenario into a pbp. That kind of translation is probably the hardest aspect of DMing a pbp game in my experience; finding the essence of a scene while keeping it moving is tricky.

Okay things are pretfy tricky right now. You guys made A LOT of mistakes in your approach. One of the first was not making knowledge checks sooner, second was not using comlinks once you got separated. I don't like sending out hints and prefer players figure things out for themselves.

The way it looks, you guys are going to fail to deal with the destroyer altogether. There is still a slim chance. I need some time to review things before I can post again and see if I made any mistakes. If you guys know of mistakes I have made feel free to point them out.

@Arana: First of all, I am still trying to decide how to handle dark and light side points. Jedi and force users really aren't suppose to be available to you guys at the moment so I didn't review those rules to heavily.

Second, the best I can do in regards to your knowledge check is give you a circumstance bonus to comp use of +5 but you NEED to comp use to open the door.

Okay things are pretfy tricky right now. You guys made A LOT of mistakes in your approach. One of the first was not making knowledge checks sooner, second was not using comlinks once you got separated. I don't like sending out hints and prefer players figure things out for themselves.

The way it looks, you guys are going to fail to deal with the destroyer altogether. There is still a slim chance. I need some time to review things before I can post again and see if I made any mistakes. If you guys know of mistakes I have made feel free to point them out.

@Arana: First of all, I am still trying to decide how to handle dark and light side points. Jedi and force users really aren't suppose to be available to you guys at the moment so I didn't review those rules to heavily.

Second, the best I can do in regards to your knowledge check is give you a circumstance bonus to comp use of +5 but you NEED to comp use to open the door.

OK so my knowledge roll will give me a +5 on a subsequent comp use roll?

@Arana: That is correct.

K thanks. Was hoping to save the day with those force points but was worth a try :)

Arana you can attempt to aid Zaleos. Even though you don't have the skill, it is a DC 30 to crack the bridge. A successful aid another would tip the scale for sure. D20+Int mod +5. Give it a shot.

okay everyone, listen up.

I have thoroughly reviewed the force at Arana's request. While it is still suppose to be some time before any of you even have the option for force user training, this would be likely around level 12, some of you have natural gifts and have been using them extensively. This isn't an issue at the moment. There will be a limit on the number of and time of force skills that can be used at this time.

I would like to say you can only have the force adept class if you are of primitive nature. You can only have as many force skills as your current level.

Arana I will let you keep the force skills you have but you cannot take anymore until level 11.

I had always intended on using the force rules down the line. The campaign is divided into major segments, and each segment is divided into acts. You are currently on act one but are about finished with it. You will likely complete act one when you reach level six.

There are four acts in this segment. Segment 2 is when the Jedi/Force User/Sith training becomes available. Segment 3 is when the force becomes a more persistent element of the campaign. This segment will include A LOT of saber battles and force user vs Force user battles.

We are moving at a good pace and will likely reach act 2 by the end of march, if not sooner.

I will do my part to keep up. Everytime all five of you post, I post. If I wait a day and not all five players have posted, then I will push the game on. Sometimes I will post a response to Player interactions with NPCs or inquiries. I will be focusing almost solely on this campaign. It is by far my favorite and I want to see where it goes.

Now, the rulings on using the force
I'm not looking to use heroic campaign rules for force. I believe heavily in the idea of the "grey Jedi" a term used to describe an individual who doesn't follow the Jedi code and does things his own way without being corrupted by the dark side.

This means minor and even some common transgressions will be ignore when deciding if an action deserves a dark side point. However, using the dark side does, and using the force in anger, hate, or fear does.

The corruption patterns listed in the rulebook will hold, bonuses and penalties alike.

Now, the matter of the final stage of the dark side. Losing yourself in it's power. I will only do this in situations where the character is under extreme stress or facing a moral dilemma. Here is how it works, the player must make a will save DC 10 + the number of dark force points, If the save is failed then I temporarily decide the players actions for the duration of the crisis that caused either the dilemma or the stress. Once the scenario is over the character then regains control and can reflect on what he has done.

An example of this would be when Anikan used force grip on Padme and later he realized just what he did and regretted it immensely.

This is how I am going to handle the Force.

Arana, you have acquired 1 force point for panicking at the door and using the force out of fear or anger at that time.

OK - sounds good :)

Just to clarify "Arana I will let you keep the force skills you have but you cannot take anymore until level 11."

Does this mean Arana can take levels in Force Adept just cannot take any new force skills or she cannot take levels in Force Adept until level 11 ?

...And all I'm thinking is, Janitor would be EPIC if he got Force powers...

OK - sounds good :)

Just to clarify "Arana I will let you keep the force skills you have but you cannot take anymore until level 11."

Does this mean Arana can take levels in Force Adept just cannot take any new force skills or she cannot take levels in Force Adept until level 11 ?

You can take levels in force adept and add ranks to the skills you have, you just can't take any new skills

...And all I'm thinking is, Janitor would be EPIC if he got Force powers...

It could happen. Only, who would be your teacher I wonder. When the time comes for force training to be available, Luke won't be the only potential teacher anymore. >.>

Arana Niss wrote:

OK - sounds good :)

Just to clarify "Arana I will let you keep the force skills you have but you cannot take anymore until level 11."

Does this mean Arana can take levels in Force Adept just cannot take any new force skills or she cannot take levels in Force Adept until level 11 ?

You can take levels in force adept and add ranks to the skills you have, you just can't take any new skills

OK

Have a lot to do right now, can't do any posting today, sorry.

Well you guys did very very very well. So well in fact that you all gain a level. YAY!

There were a lot of neat tactical choices you guys made and some that almost cost you the whole mission.

A note that I spotted in IC thread I need to correct. The Emperor stopped using Clones after the Komino rebellion. Janitor is supposedly the last of a dying breed. Most stormtroopers you encounter are simple normal people recruited into the empire.

They are brainwashed pretty well but do not possess the genetic enhancements the clones of the separatist war. Nor do any of them have Mandelorian blood in there veins.

Reaching level five is the first milestone. Foes will be getting tougher from here on out and scenarios will become more challenging. Get yourselves ready and I will move you onto Bakura when I get home from work tonight.

OK I had a feeling we had made some dumb choices during our assault on the Star Destroyer...stll amazed we pulled that off. The Force was with us, it seemed.

BTW do we have the option to take Jedi levels yet?

Haha, interesting! Great to have progressed a level. I too feel that some of our actions weren't the best, in hindsight, but we pulled it off in the end. That fake overload tactic was brilliant.

Imagine what would have happened if you reached the bridge WITHOUT Taggard in your company. That was one of your wise choices to make sure he was with you on the bridge.

No jedi levels may be taken until level 12

Janitor, are you going to be taking more Treat Injury Levels as we only need 1 primary medic? Sorry, trying to ensure Karval is not so useless with skills.

Shanosuke, I take it we are going with Core things only, no feats & no prestige classes from the Heroes Guide.

YAY Congrats guys.....got a bit hairy there...but it wouldn't be Star Wars without a cliffhanger here or there :)

Na'soth would not have allowed Taggard to hang back if anyone else had gone ahead; he was pretty sure something nasty was on the bridge. Some of the decisions proved to be a bit dubious, but hindsight's 20/20. Based on the information we had at the time, they were remarkably sound for the situation we were in. And I suspect that Nichos' spirit was helping out a bit as well with my dice rolling.

Unfortunately after Nichos' death, Karval has got extra protective of the tribesmen. Thus he wasn't going to leave them behind to die. And if we had lost 60% at the first door, I doubt we would have come through with more than a handful of pilots.

As it is Karval feels bad about leaving the Malakai upon the planet to continue their slavery.

I'm probably going to continue on with Treat Injury, yes. Seems like a good skill Janitor has, and fits his MO--he also dislikes leaving men behind and seeing allies wounded/killed.

Well I think Karval will have to spend his points on going for one of the 2 prestige classes. As apart from more Feats Soldier doesn't offer much.

K I know we've been over this, but i've been looking over the discussions on vitality and have completely confused myself :)

Confirm if I'm correct... max hit dice for character levels plus CON bonus per character level plus 2 half hit dice plus 1

I believe it's either roll+CON, or (dice type/2)+1+CON

Karval is going average.

FANTASTIC! Someone actually went back to research what they were doing in Chiss space in the first place. I was beginning to think you guys had forgetten about the Chiss too. Malakai was never a mission you were asked to do. You found it through research and one thing just led to another. Honestly I like how it has been going. You've definitely taken the train WAY off track and have already begun to make a LOT of changes to the long term story.

Now, I am going to give you guys a hint. Overall, Mirianna is going to be defeated by the rebellion and her force disolved before the end of this Saga. I am cursious to see how much can change with you influence.

One more hint as to how things were meant to play out. The Malaki were originally rescued by the Rebellion in the next Saga.

Yeah, we need to push it to gain some alliances. Forcing either the Chiss or Rebels to help us more. We did give them the home-world before.

I hadn't forgotten, but Na'soth never knew about it in the first place, so I couldn't really say much about it. That's one area that he couldn't replace Nichos in.

Well...if Mirianna is going to be defeated, then I wonder where that leaves us on the stage. Outlawed by both the Rebellion and the other Imperial factions does not seem conducive to a long lifespan, he he. Although it seems as if Zaelos has strong leanings towards the Rebellion as it is....

I had forgotten about the Chiss rebels so thanks for Karval for reminding me. After we secure Malaki from the invading Imperials, we can concentrate on dealing with the Chiss rebels.

I know Na'Soth/sunshadow, do you want us to go over the entire purpose of our mission? If so shall we try and explain, or just hand wave it? Trying to type out 20-30 posts might be difficult, but it may solidify our understanding.

Na'Soth seems less political though.

Na'soth would zone out half way through the explanation, to be quite honest. He understands politics; he doesn't like politics.

Kind of the same thing with Janitor. He isn't hugely interested in the whys, just the whats. Give him the objective and parameters for its completion, he's on it. Go on for a long time about just why you're there, background info? He's not as big on that.

Okay,; you guys have two fully operational star destroyers now. You have your mission. Whats the next step? I'm kind of waiting on you guys unless I missed something

So should we add any more info about the Chiss and our missions. About how they are reclaiming their space from the old Empire and disrupting Mirianna's plans.

I've been waiting on Janitor this whole time. I sent him some information in regards to his knowledge tactics check. If someone else would like to make a knowledge tactics check I'll send you what I sent him and we can move this along.

I would but Arana's tactics knowledge wouldn't serve in this instance...being mainly about guerilla action not imperial strategy

Sorry for the absence--I got strep throat and have been laid up pretty much this whole time. This is the first chance I've had to get back on the forums and check things out--I'll level up Janitor and post in soon.

Nasty...i've had that before, not nice.

I figured it was something. You haven't been left behind Jany so you can hop in at anytime.

I've finished the level-up process, I think, except for Vitality and Wounds as I'm confused on that point. Turns out I didn't get those boosts to skills that I'd hoped for--just got to max out Stealth.

Posted in Gameplay to get back in, and sorry once again for the absence.

Okay, I need a reasonably detailed and a FINAL plan as to what you are going to do. I cannot push the game on because I have no direction as to where it is going. From what I am seeing, you are all going to attack the forces of the Raptor hitting the Malaki hidden base. Why, how, and when? What do you hope to accomplish with this action? What would be the next step after this? Those kind of details.

The most important part will be when you plan to act. I am not going to do anything for you here. You have to do it. If you want information from the scout fighters, then let me know your waiting on their return before you act.

Or, if you are still waiting on me for something, please post it here. I have not seen any Tactics roles high enough to merit any further tactic advice at the moment. I will do what I can to answer any out of game inquiries.

If you guys need some help or guidance let me know. I will throw some freebies cause you all have been doing so well.

Yeah Zaelos was waiting on getting the intel from the scout squadrons. As he has not ever commanded space forces before, he is also relying on both Janitor and the Raptor captain to assist him here.

As for the plan, hitting the ground assets of the invading Imperial forces would be a sensible plan (at least in Zaelos' mind)

I think we need the results of the probe drone.

Because as I see it, we cannot evacuate the planet.
Attacking the planet if their is a superior spacecraft force is suicide.
Attacking a superior Spacecraft force is suicide.
Staying here with a superior Spacecraft force is suicide.

In fact, contacting the Chiss really is the best solution. We can slow the assault of Makabe, but if he has more spacecraft than us _ it's futile.